Introduction (Crisse)

I began my journey in simple living 5 years ago when life afforded me a 2nd chance to find out who I was. In some respects living a more simple life was thrust upon me, but I found that this lifestyle (living more intentionally and with less) aligned so comfortable with my values that I readily embraced it. At first my simple living journey was more financially motivated, buying less, shopping re-sale, reusing, making do. Finding ways to cut costs was my motivating factor.

In the past few years though, my view has shifted. I've gone from living "frugally" to trying to live more sustainably. For me living a simple lifestyle is also living a lifestyle that supports and nurtures the environment and the individuals within that environment. Making choices based not on the cost of an item but on the environmental impact of that item and reconnecting my body and mind with the natural world. To me there is a strong tie between spending time in nature and my feelings of being connected to it. The more time I spend outdoors, and especially in more natural settings, the more I become aware of what an impact we are having on the world we live in and the impact our culture is having on our feelings and emotions.

There's so much to think about; green spaces, media, de-forestation, recycling, consumerism, advertising, air pollution, education, medical and psychological issues, and all the rest To me they are inextricably tied together with our American culture. So to me living a more simple (sustainable) life is about questioning and awareness. Questioning the choices I make and becoming more aware of the impact those choices will have.

So what do I do to live this lifestyle? Well a large part of it is choosing voluntary simplicity. Living with less and spending less. I try to be a mindful consumer, making the best choices I can given my budget, time, and the availability of products. I have a streak of environmental activism in me and am a strong proponent of ecopsychology (the relationship between the environment and our mental health and well being). I live TV free and work hard to help myself and my children connect with nature and the natural world as much as possible. I think overall, I'm just like most of us on this blog, trying to become more mindful of the choices I make and how they will affect myself, my family and our planet. I'm not perfect and I often find myself making choices that don't align with my values... but I like to think of myself as a work in progress ;-)

The other part of simple living is learning to care for me... thinking about personal sustainability. Caring for myself in such a way that allows me to care for my family and my world. It took me a long time to realize nurturing myself was also part of living a simpler life. Learning to let go of things out of my control, allowing myself to enjoy things I truly find pleasure in and making time for those things, putting myself and my needs as a priority sometimes. Some may say that sounds a bit selfish, but finding time to restore my spirit; my soul, allows me to keep giving in ways that I want to. Doing things that nurture myself run the gamut from hiking and exploring to just letting go of all the pressure and "shoulds" that can weigh down my day. You know those things... "I should get the laundry done today", "I should be more patient", "I should be able to do more", etc. All those things that fill me with guilt and make me feel as though I should be doing better, working harder, making a bigger difference. Sometimes just accepting where I am in my world and what I am capable of right now can make all the difference. So yes, caring for myself has become part of my simple living lifestyle.

So that's me, single mom, working and going to grad school, raising two fun kids, trying to enjoy life and always thinking about my choices. I'm looking forward to sharing some of my journey here on KISS and learning from all the other wonderful bloggers!

~Crisse